The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus capable of printing at a lowered fixing temperature.
Printing by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a process of forming an electrostatic latent image of an image represented by image data, a process of forming a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image, and a process of fixing the toner image on a sheet. The fixing process is performed by a fixing portion. The fixing portion is provided with a fixing roller, a pressing roller, and a heater. In the fixing portion, the fixing roller is heated by the heater, and a sheet carrying a toner image is allowed to pass a nip portion formed by the fixing roller and the pressing roller, whereby the toner image is fixed on the sheet.
Fixing electric power mainly occupies the electric power consumption of an image forming apparatus. Printing at a lowered fixing temperature contributes to remarkable reduction of electric power consumption of the image forming apparatus. In view of the above, there is proposed a technology of printing at a lowered fixing temperature.
The above technology is such that a time required for passing a sheet through a fixing portion is extended by lowering the printing speed to thereby avoid fixing failure regardless of a lowered fixing temperature. In the case where printing is performed at a lowered fixing temperature, the printing speed is lowered. It is preferable to reduce the lowering amount of the printing speed as much as possible.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus that enables to reduce a lowering amount of the printing speed as much as possible, in the case where printing is performed at a lowered fixing temperature.